Penhaligon's experiences ???

Lately, I've been so caught up in the MPG, L'Artisan, Bond No. 9, LV, etc ... sampling I've forgotten about the one fragrance I have from Penhaligon's that I really like ... Blenheim Bouquet. I've been wanting to sample some of their other scents, particularly LP. No. 9, Castile, Lords/Douro, and Racquets Formula.

I haven't seen too many Penhaligon's discussions here lately and was just wondering if anyone has had any experience with any of the above named fragrances, or others.

(I'm secretly hoping you say they all suck as my January credit card bill was over $900 in fragrances alone !!! ) :'( :'( :'(

Re: Penhaligon's experiences ???

Endymion: too sweet on me, but I liked the ingredients mentioned, i.e. black pepper, cardamon, etc. Good thing I didnt order it blind.

Quercus: smells exactly like Chrome to me.

Racquets Formula: I'm still undecided on this one. Powdery, fresh, cool citrus, tonic, jasmine, light vetiver, spice, wood. Reminds me of Bvlgari Blv without the ginger. I will give it more time.

Lords/Douro: Hmm...reminds me of....something. Very classic &quot;cologne smell&quot; to me. Brings to mind a mix of Drakkar's lemon/sandalwood and the herbs of Eau Sauvage. So-so. Something about it I don't like. It seems fairly linear and bland, with good staying power, but just nothing that stands out for me.

Re: Penhaligon's experiences ???

Re: Penhaligon's experiences ???

LP No. 9--it's fairly heavy on delicious spices, sort of like the spices in Envy for Men multiplied a few times (but overall they still smell different). At first spray, it gave me a slight bubblegum scent. While the spices are nice, they can be a bit overwhelming, so a light touch might be the key.

Lords--I liked it, especially the citrus-musk combination, but it was a bit too sugary-sweet for my taste, and seemed a bit on the light side. It's been a while since I tried it, but I think it was also similar to Trumper GFT.

I don't know if you've seen this thread started by scentemental, but he reviews a few that you mentioned.

Re: Penhaligon's experiences ???

i love piper and i love eau des iles and MI, but this line is one that i am undecided about trying, even a sample. why? well, it is a classic and classy line, and i have not had good experiences with classic colognes. i wore some eau savage ( i used to wear it in 1981 or so when i was in college) and it seemed like old on me. same with trumper spanish leather. so blanheim bouquet sound so very interesting and so does hamman, but i am leery. convince me or talk me out of it?

Re: Penhaligon's experiences ???

Sam,
Blenheim Bouquet and Castile are the winners from this line IMO. Hammam Bouquet is nice too, but very formal I think. You may not like it.
You can get a sampler tin of men's scents from Penhaligon's. Why don't you give it a try?
By the way, I thought you were a great fan of Spanish Leather. I thought I remembered you posting about how much you liked it a couple months ago. Maybe it was someone else. It could be a sign of early senility for me. Oh well!
Rick

Re: Penhaligon's experiences ???

rick: that was me. it got to smelling very, not quite bubblegummish, but barbershop-sweet. my wife puts up with my piper and yerbamate, but she did not like spanish leather. it got a bit too cloying, so marlen has it now.

im ditching straight razors now. i just cant seem to go crossways on the neck with them, so i am selling and swapping my gear.